1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a personal mobile hands free apparatus for holding a spherical field-of-view sensor assembly in place for simultaneous face-to-face and panoramic video teleconferencing and data logging such that the user's fine focus field-of-view of the foreground is not blocked by the facial sensor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices for face-to-face video capture have not been designed to hold a sensor apparatus directly in front of the face of the user without obstructing the user's fine focus field-of-view. Or from keeping the apparatus from obstructing the fine focus field-of-view of a person in front of the user who is looking at the users face. Support apparatus that are related to the present invention but that are patently different from the present invention include: U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,126, by Fan et al., issued 29 Sep. 1998, entitled “Monocular Portable Communication and Display System”. A limitation of Fan is that Fan's camera only looks outward from the users head mounted support and does not facilitate face-to-face video teleconferencing. In Fan the controlling host electronic device controls servos that move an armature and display into the fine focus FOV of the user so the user can see the display. In contrast, in the present invention the controlling host device and the support mechanisms move a panoramic camera at the end of the armature out of the fine focus FOV of the eyes so the user can see the scene in front of him or her. Furthermore, U.S. Patent 2005/0083248, by Biocca, Frank and Rolland, Jannick et al., dated 21 Apr. 2005, entitled “Mobile face capture and image processing system and method” disclose a camera with mirror system that only looks inward from the sides of the users face to capture a user's face and not outward such that a continuous panoramic view of the remaining surrounding scene can be recorded and interacted with as provided for in the present invention. Another limitation of Biocca is that the head mounted support armature that holds a mirror or a camera blocks the peripheral FOV of the user who is wearing the support device. The purpose and design of Fan and Biocca's invention are distinctly different than the present invention.
Other related patents and patent applications that are distinguishable from the present invention include: U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,725, by McCutchen, dated Jun. 11, 1991, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Dodecahedral Imaging System” presents a handheld spherical FOV imaging system and an associated display system. A limitation of McCutchen is that the hemispherical FOV system is not wireless and is handheld. U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,794 by Kurtis Ritchey, issued 14 Jul. 1992, entitled “Panoramic Image Based Virtual Reality Display System”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,576 also by Kurtis Ritchey, issued 27 Feb. 1996, entitled “Panoramic Image Based Virtual Reality/Telepresence Audio-visual System and Method”. A limitation of Ritchey is that the sensor assembly is over the user so it does not allow face panoramic teleconferencing; U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,824, by Newman et al., issued 1 Dec. 1998, entitled Hands-free, Portable Computer and System; U.S. Pat. No. 5,886,735 by Edward Bullister, issued 23 Mar. 1999, entitled “Video Telephone Headset”; U.S. Patent 2005/0128286 A1 by Angus Richards, issued 16 Jun. 2005, entitled “VTV System”. Richards's presents a head mounted support with a plurality of cameras that only look outward thus negating the ability of the to capture the face of the user wearing his HMD. Additionally, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0245585 A1, by Fisher et. al., dated 30 Sep. 2010, entitled “Headset-based Telecommunications Platform”; U.S. Pat. No. 7,861,985 B2 by Nicolette Galvin, issued 4 Jan. 2011, entitled “Hands-free Device Holder for Securing Hand-held Portable Electronic Device with a Screen”; U.S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0085135 A1 by Eugene Bertolli, dated 14 Apr. 2011, entitled “Free Space Hands Free Ocular Observation Camera Mount”.